Improvement in mowing-machines



& 1.*HERRINGT0N.

l Mower.

No. 31,973. Patented April 9,1861,

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Fn F. HERRINGTON AND J. HERRINGTON, OF VST HOOSICK, NEW YORK;

IMPROVEMENT IN .lvlowlNemAcHlNl-zs.

Specification forming part. of Letters Patent No. 3I,97, `dated April 9, 1861..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EPHBAIM F. HERRING- TON and J osmn HERRINGTON, both of West Hoosick, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented .certain new and useful Improvements in Mowing-Machines;

and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,

ing that a convenient and effective device is afforded forsetting the finger-bar forward, in the event of it becoming deflected by use, without the use of braces extending in any direction beyond the main frame of the machine; second, in an appliance operating, in connection with a suitable hoisting device, to raise either the heel or the point of the finger-bar with a single lever, as hereinafter explained; third, in an appliance operating, in connection with the above, to preserve the freedom of the nger-bar to accommodate` itself to undulations in the surface of the ground; fourth, in a device 'to vary the vertical angle of presentation of the nger-bar; fifth, in the use of spring-teeth, construct-ed and applied as hereinafter explained, in connection with the ratchet movement employed to permit the locking of the machine wit-hout actuatingthe cutting mechanism, a great advantageof this part of our invention being that the two parts of the clutch by which motion is communicated to the cutting mechanism at the option of the operator are always in contact, whether moving or not, and` by this means straws and other foreign Amatters are effectually excluded from working between them; sixth, in a novel device operating, in connection with the `said spring-teeth and their accessories, to throw the cutting mechanism out of gear.

To enable'others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will proceed to de scribe its construction and operation.

A is' the main framevof the machine, and A the. draft-frame, which are secured to an axle, a., (the latter by a hinged [attachment,) so as to be adjustable relatively at anyangle.

D D are two driving-wheels journaled upon the axle a, and provided with cogs gearing `with pinions B B, journaled loosely upon the main driving-shaft G, but imparting motion thereto when the machine is in gear and moving forward. through the medium of clutches constructed as follows: c c are collars secured to the shaft C, and constructed with sockets for the reception of pins d d, which engage with ratchet-teeth on the inner faces of the pinions B. The said pins are pressed outward toward the pini ons by means of spiral springs bearing upon shoulders on the pin d and collar c, as clearly shown in the sectional view in Fig. 1. The headsof the pins are held in disks or yokes d?, sliding loosely upon the shaft, and adapted to withdrawthe pins simultaneously from both pinions (when it is desired to throw the machine out of gear) by means of clutch-levers d, connecting-rods d4, and a wedge-shaped bar, d5, `passi-ng through slots in the ends of said rods, and operating when pressed down t0 draw the levers, collars, and pins towardthe `center ofthe machine.

p T is a slotted standard projecting upward from the main frame to support the wedge d5 and guide it in a proper path. Gearing e c, shaft f, crank-wheel f', and connecting-rod g transmit motion from the shaft C to the cutter-bar G. rlhe rod y is connected with the cutter-bar by a double horizontal hingejoint, which effectually prevents any longitudinal play between them,'but permits'the connecting-rodto work at any angle without binding.

The finger-bar H is secured to a shoe, I, the

construction of which is clearly shown in" Fig. 2. i

i represents awed ge-shaped plate interposed between the finger-bar and shoe, and adapted, by being reversed in position, to vary the angle of presentation ofthe former.

J is a metallic bar .rigidly secured to the shoe, extending backward, and hinged at j to the rear end of the main frame.

K is a brace-rod hinged at la to the bar J, and extending laterally to the opposite side of the main frame, to which it is attached adjustably by a screw-bolt and nuts, as shown at k in Fig. 1.

L is a segment pivoted at Z to Vthe' draftframe, provided with a hand lever, Z', and adapted to raise the nger-barat either or both ends by means of a chain or cord, Z2, attached to the shoe or its connections.

M is a spring-catch operating in connection with ratchet-teeth on the inside of segment L to retain the latter in any position in which it may be set. N is arack hinged at its lower end to a rigid projection from the shoe-brace J, and passing upward through a slotted plate, n, in the draft -frame, against the front of which the said rack is pressed with the foot when it is desired to hold down the heel of the finger-bar. At other times the'rack is kept out of gear by a spring-bar, n. VVh-ile the rack is in this position the segment-lever L Z will raise only the heel of the linger-bar, the point resting on the ground; but by pressing the rack N Vforward with the foot the heel of the finger-bar may be held down at any desired point, and the segment-lever will then act to raise the point.

O is the drivers seat.

P is the tongue.

Q is a perforated bracket extending laterally from the tongue for the attachment of the double-tree Rin any desired position to counteract the side draft of the cutting apparatus. The angle between the main frame A and draft-frame A is adjusted by means of a perforated standard, S, extending upward from the front of the former, and supporting it at any height by a pin, s, inserted through the said bar into the tongue. By this means the connecting-rod may be -adjusting to work in line with the cutter at any height of the latter. A stop-pin (represented 'by a dotted circle in Fig. l) projects upward from the shoe I, immediately beneath the connecting-rod g, for the purpose of supporting the cutter when turned up to a vertical position. When it is desired to convey the machine from place to place without using the cutting mechanism, the pin s is first withdrawn and the segment-lever L Z and foot-rack N employed to raise the finger-bar nearly to a vertical position. The rack Nis supported by means of a bar, U, hinged to the main frame at u for this purpose.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters latent, isl 1. The adjustable lateral brace-rod K, ap-

plied and operating in connection with the shoe-brace J, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The foot-rack N, operating iii-combination with the segment L, or other suitable hoisting device, to hold the heel of the finger-bar while raising the point, as explained.

3. The spring-bar n', operating to'hold the aforesaid foot-rack out of gear, when not in use, to permit the nger-bar to rise and fall freely with the uneven surface of the ground.

4. The reversible wedge-shaped plate t', applied between the finger-bar and shoe, in the manner and for the purpose explained.

5. The combination of the spring-pins d, disks or yokes (Z2, bosses c, and loose ratchetpinions B, operating in the manner and for the purposes explained.

6. The wedge d5, operating in connection with rods d, clutch-levers d, and yokes (Z2, to retreat the pins d.

EPHRAIM F. HERRINGTON. JosiAH HERRINGTON.

Witnesses as to Ephraim F. Herringtons signature:

OcTAvrUs KNIGHT,

L. V. BENDR. Witnesses as to Josiah Herringtons signature: l f

PARKER H. Boswon'rrr, J. OSCAR JosLIN.

When the finger-bar is thus 

